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The Connie Mack World Series Committee of Farmington
received the 1995 Sponsor of the Year Award at the National Meeting of
the Amateur Baseball Congress held in Clearwater Beach, Florida in November
of 1995. The Committee is renowned for the quality and quantity of work
that it accomplishes year-round in order to successfully host this world-famous
baseball tournament. Recipient of the Beam Clay National Baseball Diamond of the Year Award
for 1987 and the 1992 Diamond Dry Groundskeeper of the Year Award, sponsored
in conjunction with the National High School Baseball Coaches Association,
Ricketts Park was developed by volunteer efforts and community donations.
Continued improvements to Ricketts Park are funded with proceeds from
the Connie Mack World Series.
Thirty-four years ago, a delegation of Farmington businessmen traveled
to the A.A.B.C. Annual Meeting in Chicago in what many thought was a futile
effort to bid on the 1965 Connie Mack World Series. The tournament had
been held in Springfield, Illinois until this time. With their 1963 Babe
Ruth World Series and the 1964 Connie Mack South Plains Regional Tournament
experience behind them, the delegation presented a convincing story and
won the bid by ONE vote.
1999 marks the 35th Annual Connie Mack World Series to be held in Farmington.
It is not by chance or accident that this tournament continues to be a
success. It has been a team effort from the beginning, with new faces
and new ideas each year. The General Chairman serves no more than a two
year term to assure "new blood", and surely, without the "foster
parent plan" initiated in 1975, the tournament would have long ago
become a financial burden too large to handle. The support of the foster
parents, the civic clubs, the sponsors, administrators, coaches, players
and fans has made the Connie Mack World Series the finest amateur tournament
in baseball.
American Amateur Baseball's
Most Prestigious Award
Since Farmington hosted the first tournament in 1965, the Connie Mack
World Series has grown to be the largest and highest- esteemed tournament
in the realm of amateur baseball. Each year the crowds are larger and
the enthusiasm continues to increase. Above all, the quality of the Connie
Mack World Series Committee continues to amaze those intricately involved
with the World Series.
According to Joe Cooper, National AABC President, "Few committees
are capable of maintaining the quality and quantity of this Committee.
The Committee is structured in such a manner that every task is assigned
to individuals with valuable experience, and those individuals add new
persons to eventually take their place."
Operated by the City of Farmington year-round, the seating capacity at
this top-ranked baseball field is 5, 072. Dimensions of Ricketts field
- RF-330, RCF-342, CF-370, LCF-344, and LF-320.